The racial themes in 'District 9'
Searching for meaning in a movie about the mistreatment of extraterrestrials in South Africa
Sharlto Copley in 'District 9'
(TriStar Pictures)
Neill Blomkamp's "ridiculous" District 9 is fresh proof that filmmakers just can't handle racial issues, said Armond White in New York Press. The movie "idiotically combines sci-fi wonderment with the inane 'realism' of a mockumentary" to show how South Africa forces visiting extraterrestrials to live as second-class citizens. But with its relentless reliance on old racial stereotypes, District 9 "represents the sloppiest and dopiest pop cinema" imaginable. (watch the trailer for District 9)
District 9 could have been a "grungy fable" about our tendency to be ugly to those who are different, said Joshua Rothkopf in Time Out New York. "The movie's creatures, rendered with insectoid precision and derisively called 'prawns' by the white characters, are ghettoized in a Soweto-like township." But the film, though arguably a "gruesomely dark" gem, "has too many gory vaporizations to qualify as a serious statement on race relations."
District 9's "themes of racial division" seem to be a metaphor for apartheid," said Associated Press writer Christy Lemire in the San Francisco Chronicle, but "its quick bursts of violence and urban warfare also feel like a statement on the war in Iraq." Either way, this is an "intense, intelligent, well-crafted action movie" that "dazzles the eye with seamless special effects but also makes you think without preaching."
More movies: The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard, The Time Traveler's Wife, Julie & Julia, A Perfect Getaway, Cold Souls
Show: Oldest | Newest
7 Comments
Posted by Chris, Thursday, August 13, 2009, 3:57 pm Armond White got a bug up his ass. What an idiot! This is probably the best movie this year!!!
Posted by APatt, Thursday, August 13, 2009, 4:47 pm But it's a tiresome theme, isn't it?
Posted by JBlack, Thursday, August 13, 2009, 9:40 pm Have a feeling Armond White doesn't really get South Africans or the angle of the movie. APatt, it isn't tiresome at all, it really is a fantastic film.The movie takes itself semi seriously and that's what makes it work. The situations feel realistic, the attention to detail is fantastic and I would believe that they've given themselves 3 years for a sequel.
Posted by True American, Friday, August 14, 2009, 3:56 pm I hope it isn't racially themed like give the mexicans amnesty. I would hate the movie just for that.
Posted by anonymous , Saturday, August 15, 2009, 12:51 am The film is an obvious radicalization of several areas that are in our current day, tainting humanity. Several issues touched upon in the film are race, the refugee crisis, and its no coincidence that it takes place in Africa. The film also gives perspectives from both the human and nonhuman side. It is a call to look deeper within what humanity is struggling with today. Its a creative message. Creativity is what will inspire change.
Posted by Unreal, Saturday, August 15, 2009, 1:02 pm How is this creating change? The whole movie is one big stereotyping racist film. Nothing was unique about this movie at all. It is completely overhyped. The same story has been told thousand of times in different ways. The whole movie was stereotyping and racism......piss poor
Posted by meh , Wednesday, December 30, 2009, 12:38 am the film is nothing more than a demonstration of the most disgusting species on earth, us. the only thing that wasn't a perfect example of how we would act is that the humans didn't kill the prawns at first sight. everything else though experimentation on live specimens failure to act compassionately towards someone that is suffering but instead act on greed thats just the ugly truth about our species, i try my best to not be human because whatever human is, is most definitely not humane.
Post a Comment